Sakacin a-containing pullulan film: An active packaging system to control epidemic clones of Listeria Monocytogenes in ready-to-eat foods

The effectiveness of sakacin A, a bacteriocin produced by Lactobacillus sakei DSMZ 6333, was evaluated against epidemic clones of Listeria monocytogenes isolated from foodborne outbreaks; sakacin A activity was determined in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, and a biopolymer was identified to deliver the bacteriocin onto a RTE food. Sakacin A demonstrated antimicrobial activity against epidemic clones of L. monocytogenes in food slurries. When sakacin A (50 mg/mL) was applied directly to experimentally inoculated turkey breast, populations of the most sensitive epidemic clone were reduced more than 2 log₁₀ cfu/g after 3 weeks at 4C. Sakacin A-containing (1 mg/cm²) pullulan films demonstrated antimicrobial activity in vitro. When experimentally inoculated surfaces of turkey breast were treated with these pullulan films, L. monocytogenes populations were reduced 3 log₁₀ cfu/g after 3 weeks under refrigerated storage. These results demonstrate the possibility of using sakacin A-containing-pullulan film to inhibit or reduce L. monocytogenes on the surface of a RTE food.